Draco Kills Dumbledore
by Luiz4200
Summary: HP6 alternate ending. What if Draco Malfoy had killed Albus Dumbledore?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any character of the series.**

**Draco Kills Dumbledore**

**Draco Malfoy's P.O.V.**

I couldn't believe this. There I was, with the best chance to kill Albus Dumbledore I could ever hope to have and yet, despite the Dark Lord's order to kill Dumbledore and his threats to my family should I fail, I hesitated. If at least Snape hadn't stolen my father's place among the Death Eaters.

Then the old 'speak of the devil' saying became true the worst way possible: Severus Snape appeared. The now disarmed Albus Dumbledore is silently pleading. Did the old fool finally understand he couldn't trust him? Then I saw Snape readying his wand and understood what he was about to do: kill Albus Dumbledore. That's it. I wouldn't stand still and let him steal my only chance to restore my family's honor and keep the Dark Lord from killing my family. "Fiendfyre!" I yelled while pointing my wand at Dumbledore, painfully killing him.

**Nobody's P.O.V.**

"Run!" Snape yelled and then the other Death Eaters ran away. When Snape noticed Harry Potter uselessly trying to save Dumbledore, the former Potions Master knew what to do. "Levicorpus!" Harry is then pulled away from danger. "Let me go, Snape! We can still save the Professor…"

"Forget it, Potter." Snape replied. "Nothing can put out Fiendfyre. Not even Aguamenti. Fiendfyre destroys anything on a way no conventional magic can repair."

"Liar." Harry accused. "You're a Death Eater. You probably feared he'd no longer believe you regretted telling Voldemort…"

"DON'T SAY THAT NAME!" Snape yelled.

"…about the prophecy that made him kill my parents."

For a millisecond, Snape seemed like feeling guilty over this but he soon recovered. "You're lucky the Dark Lord ordered us not to kill you so he'd have the pleasure of doing it himself."

"You're just afraid of doing anything without Dumbledore to defend you." Harry replied.

"Silence, Potter." Snape commanded while taking him to the dungeons.

"I wish the Prince would have taught me how to defend against Levicorpus." Harry silently muttered. Apparently it wasn't low enough Snape wouldn't hear as he said: "Didn't you figure it out, Potter? I _am_ the Half-Blood Prince."

**Please Review. Some of my regular readers might be wondering about my sudden usage of past tense. Some readers complained that present tense is hard to follow so I'm trying past tense to see if I can work with it as well. Don't get used to it. And what do you think of the idea of Draco Malfoy being able to kill Dumbledore?**


	2. Saying GoodBye to Dumbledore

**Saying Good-Bye to Dumbledore**

"Potter, I can help you with the task Headmaster Dumbledore asked you to do." Snape said once he and Harry were alone at Snape's quarters.

"Forget it, Snape." Was Harry's retort. "I don't trust you."

The conversation was interrupted by Alastor Moody. "There are several rumors, Snape. Is Dumbledore really dead?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Snape sadly said. Moody then used a body-bind spell on Snape.

"Moody, what do you think you're doing?" Asked Remus Lupin, who arrived on time to see Moody body-binding Snape.

"Dumbledore is dead." Moody explained. "Because of this, everybody he told the location of the Order's headquarters to become Secret-Keepers, which means Snape is now able to tell his fellow Death Eaters and his Lord the secret."

"Mad-Eye, you're not saying Snape would betray us, are you?" Moony asked. "Dumbledore trusted him."

"With Snape being able to tell the location of our headquarters, You-Know-Who will demand him to do so." Moody explained. "We must apply the proper jinxes to prevent it from happening. Not to mention moving to a new headquarters."

One day later, they start the funeral. Albus Dumbledore became the first Headmaster to be buried in Hogwarts. After that, Professor McGonagall tried to convince Harry to tell her about the mission Dumbledore gave him.

"Harry, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would have told you to ask for another professor's help if he knew he wouldn't live long enough to see it being accomplished." Professor McGonagall pleaded.

"There's no way to tell, Professor." Harry sadly replied.

"Actually, there is." Professor Snape said, drawing the attention of all people around. "We could ask him."

"HE'S DEAD!" Harry furiously yelled.

"So is Headmaster Black but that doesn't keep you from talking to him." Snape calmly added.

It hit Harry like a ton of bricks. "Of course, how could I forget it?" McGonagall, Snape and the Golden Trio then went to the Headmaster's office and, to Harry's relief, found out that Dumbledore's portrait has been added to the others.

"Professor Dumbledore, may I tell the others about the mission you gave me?" Harry asked.

"I don't think it's wise to do so." Dumbledore answered.

"Now it's up to you, Minerva." Snape replied. "With Headmaster Dumbledore's death, you become Acting Headmistress until the Board of Governors appoints another Headmaster or Headmistress, right?"

"Right."

"Then all Headmaster portraits must be helpful to you, right?"

**Now we all have an idea of what's gonna happen next chapter, right? Please review.**


	3. Horcruxes and Decisions

**Horcruxes and Decisions**

"WHAT!" Minerva McGonagall yelled so loud Harry was sure the whole Hogwarts heard it. "Are you saying You-Know-Who made SIX Horcruxes and that you wanted Harry and his friends to find them and not tell us about it?"

Even Snape couldn't help but be shocked. Sure, he already suspected that, like other dark wizards before, Voldemort had created one Horcrux but it never occurred that somebody, even the Dark Lord, would have created more than one. And, while Snape could understand Dumbledore not trusting him with this, he couldn't understand why he'd trust only children with this. Dumbledore should have wanted McGonagall, Moody or Lupin on the secret.

"Unfortunately yes, Minerva." Portrait Dumbledore sadly answered. "Harry Potter destroyed one at the Chamber of Secrets." All people there who didn't already know about the diary being a Horcrux soon understood what Dumbledore's talking about.

"So, there are five left to be destroyed?" Guessed Minerva.

"Four, actually." Dumbledore replied. "I've destroyed one a few weeks before the beginning of Harry's sixth year."

"That cursed ring." Snape quickly deduced.

"Right you are, Severus." Dumbledore replied, still a little angry at Snape for cluing McGonagall on how to force him to reveal his secrets.

"And what about the other four Horcruxes?" McGonagall asks.

"I believe Voldemort picked objects that either symbolize his wizarding heritage or belonged to the founders of Hogwarts." Dumbledore answered. "In fact, Harry and I went to a cave where we believed Voldemort hid Salazar Slytherin's locket."

"That locket was a fake." Harry sadly replied. "It had a note from the one who replaced the real one with the fake."

"May I see it, Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked. She and Professor Snape read the note and arrived at the same conclusion upon reading the signature. "Regulus Black."

"Excuse me?" Harry asked, curious about how could Sirius' brother be involved.

"Sirius Black's brother was named Regulus Arcturus Black." Snape explained. "He disappeared during the first Wizarding War and we never had a clue to what happened to him."

"Sirius said he probably was caught trying to deflect and was killed on Voldemort's orders." Harry replied.

"DON'T SAY THE DARK LORD'S NAME, POTTER!" Snape yelled. "And, to your information, I assure you the Dark Lord had no role at Regulus's death. If he had, he'd make sure we'd take it as an example of what happens to people who try to leave him."

"But the problem remains the same, Severus." Minerva McGonagall says. "How to find the real Horcrux locket?"

"I reckon Regulus used to get along with that elf Potter inherited from Sirius Black." Snape replied. "Perhaps that elf might know something."

"Kreacher?" Harry asked, accidentally summoning his house-elf. "Yous called, Master?"

Harry then asked about any lockets Regulus might have gotten from Voldemort and Kreacher sadly told about the events that led to Regulus Black's death and how Kreacher had been considering himself a bad elf for failing to fulfill Regulus' last order: destroy the Horcrux. Harry then told Kreacher he also wants to destroy the Horcrux. Unfortunately, as Kreacher told them, Mundungus Fletcher stole the locket. Harry then gave Kreacher the fake Horcrux and asked him to bring him Fletcher. Kreacher soon disapparated, happy to be given something that once belonged to Regulus.

"While we wait for that elf, may we try to find the other Horcruxes?" McGonagall suggests.

"I believe Voldemort's pet snake Nagini is one of them." Dumbledore commented. "I also believe he turned Helga Hufflepuff's cup into one but I have no clue to its whereabouts."

"But, Albus, nobody ever saw that cup again since the death of Hepzibah Smith." Minerva replied.

"I believe Tom Riddle, as he still used to be known back then, killed Mrs. Smith and stole the cup." Dumbledore explained.

"As sad as it is, we should focus on a way to find the Horcruxes." Snape said.

"So you'd be a hero at the eyes of your Lord for protecting them?" Harry disdainfully asked.

"Potter, I just spy on the Dark Lord for the light side." Snape angrily replied.

"How can I be sure without knowing the reason that made you change?" Harry asked. "Headmaster Dumbledore said you changed because you regret having told Voldemort about the prophecy." He added ignoring Ron's pleas to stop saying You-Know-Who's name. "But I can't believe you'd regret endangering my parents' lives. You hated my Dad. And even when Mum protected you from him you still called her a…"

"THAT WAS A MISTAKE!" Snape yelled and then started shedding some tears. "A mistake I still regret to this day."

"Why should I believe this?"

"Because Lily and Severus used to be friends from even before Hogwarts." Minerva McGonagall replied.

The Golden Trio then turned their attentions to Professor McGonagall. Snape was pleading to her not to tell anything but to no avail. "They grew up at the neighborhood of Spinner's End."

"That doesn't prove anything." Snape quickly replied.

"Severus, Harry has the right to know about his mother." Minerva explained. "Harry, Severus was the first one to notice your mother is a witch. However, as Lily was ashamed to admit, she took it as an insult when he told her she's a witch."

"Minerva, please…"

"Severus, you must open yourself. Either you tell the truth or I do."

"Fine, I'll tell." Snape angrily replied. "Despite the fact your mother became a Gryffindor and I became a Slytherin, we remained friends until our fifth year, when, in a moment of anger, I called her that m word. I had no problem calling other Muggle-borns that way but I usually avoided delivering her the same treatment. When I tried to apologize, she said she couldn't remain friends with somebody who desired to become a Death Eater and had no problem with calling other Muggle-borns that m word."

"I don't get it, Professor Snape." Hermione replied. "Voldemort… ("Stop saying the name!" Ron and Snape yelled) … wanted to rid the world of Muggle-borns and Harry's Mum is a Muggle-born. Shouldn't you have noticed from the beginning it'd be just a matter of time until they targeted her?"

"I was too young to understand that." Snape replied.

"That was Professor Lupin's excuse for my father being a bully." Harry replied. "And I didn't accept it."

Now Snape was curious. The Brat-Who-Lived disappointed at his father? That's music for his ears.

"Harry, you had to grow up earlier because of the pressure of being targeted by You-Know-Who." Minerva explained. "All your father had to worry during his days as a student were grades, girls and Quidditch."

"That's right, Harry." Ron added. "Your Dad didn't have to endure a magic-hating family to keep alive any sort of magical protection bested upon him."

Harry tried to keep Ron quiet about this but Ron didn't get it. "It's not like they couldn't have known, Harry. Snape knows your Aunt and whoever was in charge of writing acceptance letters around the time you got yours knew, and probably told the professors about this, you used to sleep at the…"

"RON!" Hermione interrupted, to Harry's relief. "Won't you ever read 'Hogwarts: a History'? The letter addressing is done by a special charm that makes it unnecessary for staff members to actually know where the students live."

"But they must have checked when Harry didn't reply to the first letter." Ron replied.

"While we don't know where the first letter was addressed to, we checked that the others were addressed to places like: the smallest bedroom; a hotel; and a hut on the rocks." McGonagall explained.

"It was their attempts to keep me from knowing about magic." Harry explained. "I thought Hagrid had told you people about this."

"Is your Aunt still sore for not being accepted into Hogwarts?" Snape asked.

"Aunt Petunia _tried_ to attend Hogwarts?" Harry asked in shock. He could never imagine her trying to learn magic.

"Yes but please let's get back to the Horcrux subject." Snape replied.

"Yes." McGonagall replied. "We must decide where to look for them. The diary and the ring were already destroyed. Kreacher is on the trail of the locket. Nagini is around You-Know-Who all the time. We have yet to find the cup and we have no clue to what the other Horcrux is."

"Based on what we know so far, it could be the Sorting Hat or the Sword of Gryffindor." Snape suggested.

"Impossible, Severus." Dumbledore replied. "Both artifacts are too well watched."

"Headmaster, the only other option would be Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem but it disappeared when she was still alive." Snape replied. "There's no living person who might know where it is."

"A ghost!" Harry suddenly exclaimed. "There's no living person but a ghost could know. We should talk to the Grey Lady."

"In that case, Potter, we should also talk to the Bloody Baron for he's the only other ghost in Hogwarts to be from the founders' time." Snape suggested and Professor McGonagall asked the Headmaster and Headmistress portraits to call for the two aforementioned ghosts.

**Please review.**


	4. The Diadem, the Locket and Voldemort

**The Diadem, the Locket and Voldemort**

"Did you call us, Professor McGonagall?" The Grey Lady asked as she and the Bloody Baron arrived at her office (Dumbledore's former office but it's technically now hers since she became Acting Headmistress).

"In fact I did." McGonagall answered. "Do any of you know any reason to believe a former student named Tom Riddle might know the location of Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem?"

The Grey Lady lowered her head in shame. "I told him where to find my Mother's old diadem."

"Your Mother?" Ron asked in surprise.

"It's in History of Magic, Ronald." Hermione replied, exasperated. "The Grey Lady is Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter Helena Ravenclaw."

"It's good to know some students still value reading about Hogwarts' history." The Grey Lady commented.

"Thank you, Ms. Ravenclaw." Hermione replied.

"You're welcome." The Grey Lady said. "But why the sudden interest on knowing about Tom Riddle and my Mother's diadem?"

"We have a reason to believe he might have turned it into a Horcrux." Professor McGonagall explained.

Helena Ravenclaw obviously felt outraged because of this. "He did WHAT? I thought the young scoundrel was just using me to find a way to become smarter! How dare he turn my Mother's diadem into a Horcrux? Are you sure he did it?"

"We know he desired to turn relics from the founders of Hogwarts into Horcruxes." McGonagall explained. "We believe he did the same to Salazar Slytherin's locket, which we're already following a clue to; Helga Hufflepuff's cup, which we still have no clue to its whereabouts; and your Mother's diadem."

"I've hidden the diadem at an Albanian forest and told Tom Riddle about this." Helena explained. "But I don't know if he took it somewhere else or not."

"That was probably the same forest Tom was hidden while he didn't have a body." Portrait Dumbledore says. "We'd know if the diadem was still hidden there."

"Professor Dumbledore, remember when he applied for the Defense job and you turned him down?" Harry asked, surprising Professor Snape, who didn't know Voldemort tried to teach at Hogwarts.

"Yes, Harry."

"Professor, do you remember if Riddle had any access to the seventh floor that day?"

"I think so, Harry." Dumbledore answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Riddle might have known about the Room of Requirement and hidden a Horcrux there."

"I presume you're talking about a mysterious room where I found some chamber pots and that I never found again." Dumbledore commented. "I'd have known if Tom hid any Horcrux among them."

"If Tom Riddle ever hid a Horcrux there, it'll only appear to people needing the same thing he needed when he entered there to hide the Horcrux." Harry explained.

"Well, if you really want to find something hidden there, I know just exactly what you need to have it appear." Snape commented. They then went to the Room of Requirement needing a place to hide stuff and Harry recognized the stuff there as the stuff he saw when he hid the Half-Blood Prince's book.

"How will we find the diadem among this stuff?" Ron asked. "I don't even know what a diadem is."

"My Mother's diadem is a tiara with a cross at the top." Helena replies, angry at Ron's lack of knowledge.

Upon hearing this, Harry quickly remembered seeing a tiara like that on the bust he placed above the Half-Blood Prince's book when he hid it. To everyone's surprise, Harry soon finds the diadem.

"How did you know where it was, Potter?" Snape asked, already suspecting it had something to do with his old book.

"It doesn't matter now." McGonagall replied, stabbing the diadem with Gryffindor's sword. The diadem's yell left no doubts: the diadem was a Horcrux.

After the two ghosts returned to whatever they were doing when McGonagall called for them, the Golden Trio, McGonagall, Moody, Lupin and Snape returned to her office. "Professor Snape, any ideas on how to get through Nagini and find the Cup?"

"I have an idea but it's too risky." He answered.

"What's it?" McGonagall asked.

"If I tell the Dark Lord that Dumbledore found out about his Horcruxes, he'll want to check all his hiding spots and then Potter might learn about them via their connection to each other."

"You just want an excuse to warn your Lord and still pose as a Light Wizard, Snape." Moody accused.

"If you have a better idea, Alastor, I'm all ears." McGonagall sternly replied. Moody just grunted in response.

"Then it's all settled." McGonagall said. "Severus, I agree with your plan and wish you good luck.

Snape then extracted some memories and put them inside a bottle. "Minerva, if I die, please give these memories to Potter."

"Yes, Severus."

"Severus." Dumbledore called him. "I'm afraid it'll come the time Voldemort might try to kill Draco. Please watch out for him."

"Malfoy kills you and you still care about him?" Ron asked, completely shocked.

"I have my reasons, Mr. Weasley." It's all Dumbledore had to say.

Snape then left. Soon after, Kreacher returned with Mundungus Fletcher and the locket. "Yes. Now I recognize it from Hokey's memory."

"Then open it, Harry." Dumbledore asked.

"What?" McGonagall replied in shock.

"The Horcrux inside it cannot be destroyed unless the locket is open and it cannot be opened unless ordered so in Parseltongue." Dumbledore explained and Harry then hissed something that opened the locket, allowing Professor McGonagall to destroy the Horcrux.

Meanwhile, at Malfoy Manor, Voldemort and his Death Eaters (including a recently rescued Lucius Malfoy) were celebrating Draco Malfoy's murder of Albus Dumbledore. "Bellatrix, you should teach your nephew all you know." Voldemort commented. "He'll make a better Death Eater than his father."

"As you command, My Lord." Bellatrix replied.

Lucius Malfoy doesn't know if he should feel proud of or worried about his son. Sure, he liked the feeling of being Voldemort's right-hand-man and was happy that Dumbledore's death meant one step closer to having Pureblood supremacy on the Wizarding World but he couldn't help but notice how much the pressure was affecting Draco. However, before he had more time to think about this, the party was interrupted by Snape's sudden presence.

"You're late, S-s-severus." Voldemort said.

"My Lord, I must warn you of something." Snape replied. "In private."

"Whatever you have to say can be said in front of them." He pointed at the Malfoys and the Lestranges. "They're trustworthy."

"It's about your experiment to achieve immortality." Snape said.

"GET OUT!" Voldemort yelled at the other Death Eaters. "ALL OF YOU!"

**What do you think about this fic so far? My only disappointment at this chapter is the fact I could find a way to give any relevance to the Bloody Baron's appearance. Please review.**


	5. Draco's Second Thoughts

**Draco's Second Thoughts**

Draco Malfoy thought he'd like being a Death Eater. He thought he'd have no problem about torturing Muggles, Muggle-borns and blood traitors on behalf of Pureblood supremacy. However, he was proven wrong when Voldemort ordered him to kill Albus Percival Vulfric Brian Dumbledore. The trouble with this assignment wasn't only the fact Dumbledore was the only one Voldemort ever feared. It was also the fact Draco didn't have the needed cold-blood to murder anybody. If not for what Voldemort had threatened to do with Draco's parents, the young Slytherin wouldn't even have tried. The young Malfoy blamed all of this on his Head of House Severus Snape, who was obviously taking advantage of Draco's father's fall from grace to usurp his place as his #1 Death Eater. Why was it so hard for me to put the Imperius Curse on Madam Rosmerta? He surely meant to do it since Professor Crouch taught him it was a needed requirement for the Unforgivables to work. And how could he have not realized Slughorn was likely to keep that gift to himself and let Dumbledore be none the wiser? That left the young Malfoy with no other choice but use that Vanishing Cabinet to bring Death Eaters to Hogwarts, which wouldn't be so bad if the werewolf didn't come. He had already become too close with that filth when Dumbledore hired one to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts during his third year. If that one wasn't clever enough to know when to leave, Draco was sure his father would have done something about it. Maybe having Macnair dispose of the creature like he'd have done with the Half-giant's Hippogriff. Draco even enjoyed his fifth year with the powers of being both a Prefect and head of the Inquisitorial Squad and the belief that Voldemort would make the Wizarding World a better place for Purebloods like him. Then it all crumbled when he got his assignment.

**Flashback begins**

"Draco, I need a Death Eater in Hogwarts to do something for me I can't have Severus do without losing his place as a spy." Voldemort said. "Are you ready to do it?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"Very well, then show me your arm." Voldemort demanded. Draco then showed his left arm, allowing Voldemort to put the Dark Mark on it. Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy, tried to stop him but her sister Bellatrix wouldn't allow her.

"Draco Malfoy, you have up to the end of your sixth school year to kill Albus Dumbledore." Voldemort said. "If you succeed, you'll restore the glory your family lost when your father failed to retrieve the prophecy. If you fail, the lives of your parents will no longer have any value to me. Now the three of you leave and fetch me Severus."

**Flashback ends**

Draco was sure Voldemort wanted the usurper Snape to take over his assignment if he fails. But he's shown them all. He killed Albus Dumbledore with an excellent Fiendfyre and Snape would no longer be able to usurp his family's rightful place as #1 Death Eater. That's what Draco thought. He didn't have much time to celebrate his victory and be praised before Snape entered the room and convinced Voldemort to have a private talk with him by mentioning something about experiments on immortality. Now Draco was worried again. Could Snape still usurp the position? And, does he still want it?

**Please review.**


	6. Voldemort's Despair

**Voldemort's Despair**

"Bellatrix! Yaxley! Malfoy!" Voldemort yelled. "Be ready to take over the Ministry! We need it to have a say on who will be appointed the new Headmaster of Hogwarts! Severus, get back there and keep an eye on Potter. Tell me if he finds anything that might have anything to do with you-know-what! You're dismissed from attending further meetings until I specifically call for you. Is that clear?"

"Yes, My Lord." Snape answered.

"Then you may leave." Voldemort replied.

"What was that, Father?" Draco whispered.

"You're better off not trying to know, son." Lucius replied.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, Harry Potter had just returned from another trance-like state. "You-know-who's mind again, Harry?" Ron asks.

"Yes, Ron." Harry explained. "Snape told Voldemort about us knowing about their Horcruxes and is going to check his hiding spots. He doesn't know about the Diadem yet as he told Snape to check upon us for when we find it." Harry and Ron couldn't help but laugh at this.

"This is no laughing matter, kids." Acting Headmistress Minerva McGonagall sternly said. "I might have agreed with Professor Snape's plan but we still must work at some alternative plan."

"Bill!" Harry suddenly exclaimed.

"What does my brother have to do with this, Harry?" Ron asked.

"He works at Gringotts." Harry answered and the others still gave him a puzzled look. "Just like Voldemort (Harry ignored the general flinching) trusted Lucius Malfoy with the Diary Horcrux, he could have trusted the Cup Horcrux with a Death Eater who might have decided to hide it at one of the Gringotts vaults." Harry added.

"It might be worthy to check." Professor McGonagall replied. "I'll call the Weasleys to talk to Mr. William Weasley about this. Professor Slughorn, you'll stay in charge until I get back."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall." Slughorn replied.

"Professor McGonagall!" Ron exclaimed, scandalized. "Will you trust a Slytherin to run Hogwarts?"

"Yes, Mr. Weasley. I will." She replied with an end-of-discussion tone.

"Well, not that it says much but at least he's better than Snape." Ron commented, a decision he'd soon regret.

"You think so, Weasley?" They heard Snape saying. He was just returning from his meeting with Voldemort.

"H-h-how did you…"

"It doesn't matter now, Mr. Weasley." Snape replied. "Just so you'd know, had school not been closed, I'd give you a detention and docked 20 points from Gryffindor."

"Severus, I was leaving Professor Slughorn in charge of Hogwarts while I'm absent following a possible lead on the Cup Horcrux but since you're here, you'll be in charge instead." Professor McGonagall said.

"Are you insane?" Ron asks even more scandalized. "He's a bloody Death Eater."

"Mind your language, Weasley." McGonagall said. With no more words, she entered the fireplace and left.

"Potter, Professor McGonagall said something about following a clue to the Cup Horcrux." Snape said. "Did you get it from the Dark Lord's mind?"

"No, Sir." Harry answered. "She's following an alternative plan."

"With all due respect, Professor Snape, aren't you afraid the curse on the Defense job will catch you?" Hermione asked.

"There's no need to worry, Ms. Granger." Snape answered. "With the Horcruxes being discovered, the Dark Lord decided to put a special charm on me to protect me from it."

"I'm relieved." Hermione said.

"Not me." Moody replied. "I expected to see how the curse would keep you from keeping the job for more than one year."

Harry and Ron suppressed their desire to say 'me too'.

Harry suddenly felt Voldemort entering the Gaunt Shack. The Dark Lord looked at the hidden spot where he placed the ring only to learn it's no longer there. _'How could the old fool have found out about my relation to the Gaunts?'_ He thought. _'That orphanage matron. She must have told him as much as she had told me about my relatives and he was also able to have made the deduction. But there's no way he could have known about the other Horcruxes. Sure, Malfoy's foolishness might have clued Dumbledore to the fact I created more than one but… of course! She might have told about the cave incident as well. It could have been enough to make him check if there was another Horcrux there.'_

Harry then left Voldemort's mind. "Harry, what happened?" Hermione asked out of concern.

"Voldemort went to the Gaunt Shack." Harry explained. "He is furious he didn't consider Dumbledore's chances of finding out he's related to the Gaunt family. Now he's going to check the Horcrux cave."

"Almost makes me wish the fake Horcrux was there when he went to check." Ron commented.

"I know the feeling, Ron." Harry replied.

"I hope he has a heart attack as he finds out he lost another Horcrux." Ron said.

"I don't think he still might have a heart to suffer an attack, Ron." Harry commented. All others silently (and sadly) nod at the statement.

"If you don't mind, I'm going back to the Ministry." Moody said. "With Dumbledore dead, the Death Eaters might be trying to take over it."

"We understand, Alastor." Professor Flitwick said and Moody then left.

Meanwhile, at the Burrow, Acting Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was talking to the Weasleys about the Horcruxes.

"Professor McGonagall, how do you expect Bill could be of any help to destroy any Horcrux?" Arthur Weasley asked.

"We know He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named stole Helga Hufflepuff's cup from Hepzibah Smith and that he probably turned it into a Horcrux." Professor McGonagall explained. "We're studying the possibility that he might have trusted one of his Death Eaters to hide it and that said Death Eater could have hidden the Horcrux at one of the Gringotts vaults."

"It's a shot in the dark, Professor McGonagall, but I'll check this." Bill replied.

"But how will you do it, my dear?" Molly asked, worried. "I thought you said goblins didn't take sides on wars between humans."

"And they don't, Mum." Bill replied. "But they don't tolerate thefts and might help just to have the Cup returning to their rightful owners."

"I'm glad to hear this." Professor McGonagall commented.

Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Magic, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody reported to Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimegour about the recent events.

"You-know-who had SIX Horcruxes?" Scrimegour asked, completely shocked. He already knew what a Horcrux is but he never thought a Dark Wizard, even Voldemort, would have created more than one. "We must do something!"

**Please review. Rufus Scrimegour being told about the Horcruxes was something that I came up with while writing this chapter.**


	7. Training

**Training**

"Crucio!" Draco yelled while pointing his wand at some random Muggleborn captured by his crazed Aunt Bellatrix Lestrange. Its effect lasted no longer than Harry Potter's attempt to use the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix.

"Draco, you must actually mean it!" Bellatrix reprimanded her nephew. "And it shouldn't be a problem for you since you're practicing with a filthy Mudblood."

"Sorry, Aunt Bella." Draco meekly replied.

"'Sorry' won't save you when the Dark Lord decides you're not fit to serve him anymore or when he decides to Crucio you for failing him." Bellatrix harshly replied. "Perhaps I should Crucio you know."

"Please, Bella, no!" Narcissa Malfoy pleaded. "He's just a boy."

"He's the monster who killed Albus Dumbledore." The muggleborn replied.

"Silence, Mudblood." Bellatrix hysterically demanded. "See it, Cissa? The filthy Mudblood isn't even Crucioed long enough to know when to hold his tongue. Draco, either you Crucio that piece of filth for real or I'll Crucio the both of you."

"Crucio!" Draco exclaimed. This time it actually lasted long enough to appease Bellatrix. He then looked at the muggleborn with a face that clearly said 'you should be glad it was me and not Aunt Bella'.

"Perfect, Draco." Bellatrix said. "Now it's time to see which other dark spell you could learn. I got it! Cissa, remember when Snape gave you that letter informing you of when Potter, I still don't believe the half-blood had it on him, used Sectumsempra on your son? I believe it's time Draco learns this spell as well."

Before Draco had a chance to reply, his father appeared. "Bellatrix, while I'd like to see my son learning that spell, we're needed for the Ministry takeover." Lucius Malfoy told his sister-in-law.

"Alright, Lucius." Bellatrix replied and then turned her attention to the muggleborn. "You're a very lucky Mudblood."

After Draco and his Mother were left alone, he started to cry on her arms. "Why do I have to do this, Mother?" He asked between his tears.

"Because we all know what the Dark Lord will do if we don't, son." Narcissa sadly explained.

"Mother, do you think I should have accepted Dumbledore's offer?" Draco asked, still wondering if he did the right thing when he killed the Headmaster instead of accepting his offer.

"No." Narcissa answered. "Had you not killed Albus Dumbledore, Severus would have to do so to meet the final terms of his Unbreakable Vow and then Dumbledore wouldn't have been able to help anyway."

"Then I guess it's more dark training for me." Draco sadly said.

"I'm afraid so, Draco." Narcissa replied with equal sadness.

"All of this is Snape's fault for not letting Potter explain about Peter Pettigrew." Draco spat. "I wonder if he really didn't know or if he was just keeping it a secret on the Dark Lord's behalf hoping to usurp Father's place as the #1 Death Eater."

"Draco, what are you saying?" Narcissa asked, shocked.

"Had Snape not stopped Potter from trying to explain Black's innocence, Pettigrew would have been caught, Crouch Jr. wouldn't have helped the Dark Lord to return and our lives wouldn't be that way." Draco explained.

"Draco, you can't think like this." Narcissa replied. "Somebody might hear."

**Please review.**


	8. The Tale and the Ministry

**The Tale and the Ministry**

Afraid for his beloved Locket Horcrux, Lord Voldemort went to the inferi lake and, to his horror, found out the locket is no longer at the place where he hid it. "Curse you, Dumbledore!" He exclaimed. "First that stupid Malfoy loses me the diary; then Dumbledore finds the ring and how this? All I have left now are the cup, the diadem and Nagini. I can place a charm to protect my familiar and Bellatrix reassured me the cup is secure but the diadem is at Hogwarts and I don't trust Severus to let him know about it. I must take over Hogwarts to see if my Horcrux is safe. But first, I need the Elder Wand so I can beat Harry Potter without having to worry about the twin core issue."

Unbeknownst to the Dark Lord, Harry Potter learned all of this via their mental link. The Chosen One then told his friends and allies at Hogwarts about this. "I just don't get what is that Elder Wand he mentioned."

"Throughout history, some Dark Wizards claimed to have undefeatable wands." Professor Snape explained. "Some people, the Dark Lord apparently included, believe those wands to be one and the same. 'Elder Wand' is just one of the names the wand is known."

"Sounds like the wand from the Tale of the Three Brothers." Ron commented.

"In fact, Weasley, some people, most notably the Lovegoods, believe the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility are also real." Snape replied.

"Excuse me." Harry asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Have you never heard about the Tale of the Three Brothers?" Ron asked, shocked somebody never heard of that tale.

"Harry and I grew up at the Muggle World, Ron." Hermione replies. "We learned about other fairy tales."

"Some of them, actually, were inspired by real events, Ms. Granger." Snape explained.

"Really!" She eagerly asked.

"Sure." Snape answered. "Do you remember fairy tales like 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Jack and the Beanstalk'?"

"Don't listen to him!" Ron demanded. "I don't know any Sleeping Beauty but that Jack is the one who killed Bran the Bloodthirsty."

"Was that a real story?" Harry and Hermione asked.

"You actually grew up dismissing his heroism as a fairy tale?" Ron asked, just as shocked as his two friends.

"Just another example of how some fairy tales are inspired on real facts, Mr. Weasley." Acting Headmistress McGonagall interjected. "But I believe we were talking about You-Know-Who's desire to posses the Elder Wand."

"According to legend, three brothers crossed a dangerous river who claimed the lives of all others who tried to cross it." Snape explained. "Pretending to congratulate them for this, Death offered each of them any prize they desired. The oldest brother asked for a wand able to defeat anybody and Death gave him a wand made of elder wood. The second brother asked for a way to bring people back to life and Death gave him the Resurrection Stone. The youngest one was clever enough to ask for something to keep him from being found and Death gave him the Cloak of Invisibility knowing that a refusal would make the other brothers suspect foul play. The brothers eventually went separate ways. The first one used the Elder Wand to finish off an old rival on a duel, bragged about the wand and somebody killed him on his sleep to steal the wand. The second one used the stone to bring his wife back to life but she wasn't completely back so he decided to join her in afterlife. Death never found the third one until he became too old and gave the cloak to his son. Some people believe these artifacts to be the Deathly Hallows and that they were created by the Peverell Brothers: Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus."

"The Deathly Hallows can't be real." Hermione said. "Sure, the Elder Wand is plausible but who ever heard of a way to bring dead people back to life? And there are several Invisibility Cloaks. What does this one have of special?"

"While most of those cloaks lose their power as time passes, the one from the legend remains as good as new despite being practically one thousand years old." Snape said and then glared at Harry. "And some of us have already seen a cloak like that."

Harry would have replied to Professor Snape's insinuation but Bill suddenly appeared. "Mr. Weasley, any news on the Goblins?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"They won't treat the cup as stolen until an heir of Hepzibah Smith claims it but they don't like keeping cursed treasures so they allowed me to destroy the soul fragment inside it." Bill explained.

"Good." Professor McGonagall replied. "It seems nothing can go wrong now."

Moody and Scrimegour suddenly appeared from the fireplace.

"I spoke too soon."

**At first, I planned to develop the Ministry's interference with the Horcrux hunt in this chapter but I've changed my mind. Hopefully I'll show it next chapter. Please review.**


	9. A Fatherson Talk

**A Father-son Talk**

When Lucius Malfoy came back from the last raid he took part on Voldemort's orders, his son was glad to see him. "Father, may we talk?"

"Yes, Draco." Lucius replied with his usual formal tone but he couldn't help but notice his son is worried. "What's wrong?"

"May it stay between us, Father?" Draco asked.

"Is you Occlumency good enough for this, Draco?" Lucius asks.

"Snape never got from me what my assignment at Hogwarts was." Draco answered and his father seemed to accept this as a yes.

"Father, do you really believe the Dark Lord is going to make the Wizarding World better for us?" Draco asked, finally mastering up the courage to question all his father taught him about Voldemort.

"By 'between us', do you mean just us or your Mother and your Aunt Bellatrix too?" Lucius asked.

"Just the two of us, Father." Draco explained.

"I don't believe anymore, son." Lucius answered. "Sure, things aren't so different than during the First Wizarding War but back then I took my place among the Death Eaters for granted. Not only have I had to endure the Dark Lord's wrath for not looking for him during those years despite having evaded Azkaban but also the failure to retrieve the prophecy."

"Father, you and the others who evaded Azkaban without denouncing other Death Eaters went back to the Dark Lord when he called." Draco said. "Couldn't you have refused?"

"Son, there are times when I wonder if I should have instead sought protection from Dumbledore." Lucius explained. "But I still believed the Dark Lord would make the Wizarding World a pureblood supremacy. If I ever suspected he'd once see your Mother and I as nothing more than the means to secure your loyalty. I'd encourage you to defect to the Light and not care if I'm killed but I'd no longer expected to be welcomed by then after killing Dumbledore."

"If not for what the Dark Lord would do to you, I'd have killed myself." Draco sadly commented. Lucius gave his son a comforting hand.

**Please review.**


	10. The Ministry's Intervention

**The Ministry's Intervention**

"What brings you here, Minister?" Professor McGonagall asked, trying not to sound upset.

"Auror Moody told me He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named created Horcruxes and Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix is destroying them." Rufus Scrimegour explained. "It's time you let the Ministry finish the job."

"How could you, Alastor?" An outraged Minerva McGonagall asked.

"You were too trusting of Snape." Mad-Eye Moody explained. "Somebody had to do something about it."

"Agreed!" Ron added, earning several glares.

"So, which Horcruxes did You-Know-Who make and which ones were already destroyed?" Scrimegour asked.

"He made the diary that possessed Ginny Weasley to make her open the Chamber of Secrets; a ring; a cup; a locket; a diadem; and his familiar snake Nagini." Minerva grudgingly explained. "Nagini is the only one left; he doesn't know about the diadem already being destroyed; and we're not sure if he already knows or not about the cup."

"Minister, I'm afraid Voldemort is also looking for the Elder Wand and that he might enquire Gellert Grindewald about it." Dumbledore's portrait said.

"You're not saying it only to distract me from the Horcruxes, are you?" Scrimegour asked.

"Unfortunately not, Rufus." Dumbledore answered.

"Fine, I'll warn the authorities in charge of Nurmengard." He said and then left with Moody following him.

"Headmaster, did Grindewald really become the master of the Elder Wand?" Snape asked.

"Yes, Severus."

"So, that's why you were afraid for Draco's life?" Snape asked. "He became the wand's master when he killed you even if it never became into his possession, right?"

"Yes, Severus."

"Headmaster, have you planned for a course of action should the Dark Lord want to kill me and become the wand's master?"

"What are you talking about, Severus?" Minerva asked. "You're not the one who killed Albus Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore expected Draco to fail and wanted me to kill him then to keep the Dark Lord trusting me."

"My expectation was that, if I died at the hands of someone I consented, the wand would never recognize a new master."

"Then, let's think about the Horcruxes." McGonagall suggested.

**Sorry if it's short. Please review.**


	11. The Elder Wand

**The Elder Wand**

Lord Voldemort was about to interrogate some family about the Elder Wand when he felt Severus Snape contacting him. "You'd better have important news to dare to interrupt me, Severus."

"It's about the Elder Wand, My Lord."

"Continue."

"Albus Dumbledore became its master when he defeated Gellert Grindewald, My Lord." Snape explained. "It's now buried with him inside his tomb."

"Those fools! How could they let such a powerful artifact go to waste?"

"Dumbledore never trusted anyone with the knowledge." Snape replied. "If not for the fact he suspected you'd be looking for it he'd never tell anyone."

"I must take over the Ministry so I can lower the wards they put at Hogwarts." Voldemort said. "Then we'll take over Hogwarts and I'll get the wand. Don't comment this conversation with anybody."

"Yes, My Lord."

Voldemort then returned to England and rallied the Death Eaters (minus Snape, who had to keep his role as a spy) to attack the Ministry. After they take over the department in charge of the Ministry wards at Hogwarts, Voldemort takes the Malfoys and the Lestranges to Dumbledore's graveyard. Voldemort finds it fitting that his own wand's final great act will be opening the coffin where his new wand is waiting for him. Voldemort then picked the Elder Wand. "Young Malfoy, I'm glad for how well you served me but, unfortunately I must kill you to become the true master of my new wand." Voldemort said without any true sign of remorse. Nagini the snake was approaching Draco and was ready to bite the young Death Eater when she's suddenly hit and killed by a hex coming from Lucius Malfoy. "You won't harm my son," Lucius said until he was hit by Bellatrix's Cruciatus Curse. "Narcissa should have married Rabastan!" She said. "Well, there's still some remedy for this."

"Business first, Bellatrix." Voldemort replied. "I still must kill your nephew to become the new master of my new wand."

"Aunt Bella, please do something." Draco meekly pleaded.

"You should be glad your death will make the Dark Lord more powerful!" She shouted back. "I'd give my own life if it made him more powerful."

Before Voldemort had a chance to kill Draco Malfoy with his old wand, Draco is hit by a stinging hex from… Harry Potter, who suddenly appeared. The Lestranges were about to attack the Chosen One but Voldemort stopped them. "He's mine."

"Your Killing Curse couldn't kill me before and it won't kill me now, Voldemort." Harry replied.

"We'll see. Avada Kedavra!" Harry was hit in the chest by another Killing Curse. Not only it seemed to fall dead this time, but Voldemort also fell unconscious. While the Lestranges were distracted out of concern for their Dark Lord, the Malfoys took advantage of this to take Harry away.

"We must take him to safety, son." Lucius said. "It's the only way to escape the Dark Lord's rule."

"We saw the Dark Lord kill Potter, Father." Draco replied. "There's no more hope."

"We must hope he found another way to survive." They then took him to the castle.

"What have you don' to him, Malfoys?" An enraged Rubeus Hagrid asked.

"Not us, oaf." Draco replied. "The Dark Lord hit him with the Killing Curse again."

"An' you came here to parade him?" Hagrid asked, still angry.

"No." Lucius answered. "We took him away while the Dark Lord and the Lestranges were distracted."

"Let them come, Hagrid." Snape said as he suddenly appeared. "Headmaster Dumbledore's portrait already expected the Malfoys to defect from the Dark Lord's side."

Despite not trusting the Malfoys, Hagrid agreed to lead them to Dumbledore's former office. "Welcome, Lucius. I presume Voldemort hit Harry with another Killing Curse." Duumbledore calmly said. Lucius nodded in agreement.

"Did Harry hit Draco with any spell?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes."

"Has anyone other than Voldemort hit Harry?"

"No."

"Good. Now all we have to wait for Harry to wake up and then find a way to kill Nagini." Dumbledore said.

"My Father had already killed Nagini, Sir." Draco replied. "Why was it so important?"

"Because Nagini was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes." They heard someone say and noticed Harry woke up.

All non-Slytherins and Horace Slughorn took the moment to celebrate while the others talked among themselves.

"Father, what's a Horcrux?" Draco asked.

"They're the darkest art ever." Lucius explains. "I don't know all details but, by committing murder, the ultimate act of evil, one can rip one's soul apart and place a piece within a container. As long as the container isn't destroyed beyond any conventional magic repair, the soul will never die. Usually inanimate objects are chosen to be containers because a living container will eventually die and there's no conventional magic to bring anybody back from death."

"But the Dark Lord was destroyed and had to be restored." Draco replied.

"Horcruxes protect the soul, not the body." Lucius explained. "His soul survived but he needed somebody to give him a new body. What really surprised me was the notion of someone creating more than one Horcrux."

"How many are left?" Draco asked.

"None." Dumbledore answered. "Now it's time for Harry to fulfill the prophecy and defeat Voldemort."

"Yeah, right." Draco scoffed. "Like the last time."

"That was just so he'd destroy the soul fragment he accidentally and unknowingly left inside me when I was a baby." Harry explained, shocking most people around him. "Because of the ritual that gave him his new body, he could kill it without killing me. Anybody else who tried would have killed me."

"Does that mean the Dark Lord can never kill you?" Draco asked with some hope.

"Unfortunately that protection only works once." Dumbledore replied.

"Attention, people!" They heard a loud announcement from Voldemort. "I killed Harry Potter! You have no more hope. You have one hour to surrender or else I'll kill you all. Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco betrayed me! They must be brought alive to me so I can personally show them what happens to traitors."

"Don't worry, Lucius." Dumbledore says. "You're safe in this office."

Half an hour later, a disillusioned Harry potter went to the Shrieking Shack, where Voldemort was waiting for the Wizarding World's response. He then revealed himself. "Potter! How?"

"This is for me to know and for you to find out." Harry replied. "Provided you survive our next duel, of course."

"You can't defeat me, Potter." Voldemort said. "I have the Elder Wand."

"And I am its master." Harry replied.

"Did you kill Malfoy?" Voldemort asked, shocked and impressed at the idea.

"It wasn't necessary." Harry replied. "Hitting him with that stinging hex counted as defeating him. And you no longer have Horcruxes."

"I admit some of them should have been placed at better hiding spots but I still have others left." Voldemort said with triumph.

"Do you mean Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's diadem?" Harry calmly asked to Voldemort's horror. "The goblins didn't like that the Lestranges hid a Horcrux within their vaults and the Room of Requirement is a place lots of people can get in. did you really think nobody would find the diadem there?"

Voldemort briefly showed horror on his face but he soon recovered. "No matter. I'm sure you're just making it up about the wand. Avada Kedavra!"

"Expell…" Harry started saying but then his wand seemed to act on its own. As the spells from the two wands met, the Elder Wand left Voldemort's hand for Harry's and the Killing Curse hit Voldemort. Because he no longer had any Horcruxes left, he finally died. Soon after this, Aurors and other heroes start rounding up the remaining Death Eaters. No longer needed as a spy, Snape joined the Death Eater captors.

**Please review.**


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Harry Potter went to the Ministry Headquarters, not only to receive the Order of Merlin, First Class, for vanquishing Lord Voldemort, but also to testify at some Death Eater Trials. The biggest shock of this is that, in the case of the Malfoys, he spoke into their defense. Once it was proven via Veritaserum that Draco Malfoy only became a Death Eater during his sixth year because Voldemort used his parents' lives as a bargain chip, a barely enough number of Wizengamot voters agreed to acquit him on grounds of coercion. When Harry Potter told the Wizengamot about how Lucius regretted joining Voldemort and helped defeat him by destroying one of his Horcruxes (most officials couldn't help but feel horrified at the idea of someone creating more than one), the Wizengamot pardoned him, much to the disgust of Ron and Moody. Sure, Lucius didn't know back then Nagini was a Horcrux but since nobody asked about this detail, Harry and the Malfoys didn't need to lie.

Rufus Scrimegour tried to have Snape convicted as Draco's accomplice on the murder of Albus Dumbledore and the other crimes the young Malfoy committed during the year but the other professors vouched for him confirming Dumbledore's trust on him and he was also acquitted. "Lucky scum!" one could hear Moody grunt.

Minerva McGonagall has been appointed as the new Headmistress of Hogwarts and had put an ad at the Daily Prophet offering her old position as Transfiguration Professor. She also named Professor Flitwick as Deputy Headmaster. Rubeus Hagrid approached him. "Professor McGonagall, have you decided who's goin' to be the new Head of Gryffindor?"

"Not yet, Hagrid."

"If you don' mind, I'd like ter… take the post."

"Hagrid, are you aware of the responsibilities of being a Head of House?" McGonagall asked.

"Advising fifth years on which N.E.W.T. level courses each one should take; punishing students caught by professors who send them to the Head rather than punishing them themselves; havin' occasional meeting with the other Heads of House…"

Meanwhile, the Golden Trio was deciding what to do with the Elder Wand. "Keep it, Harry. You'll be undefeatable." Ron suggested.

"Voldemort had it and it didn't help him." Harry replied. "I'll break it."

"NOOOOOO!" Ron yelled, scandalized.

"I agree with Harry." Hermione replied.

"Hermione, the Elder Wand is the best Hallow ever." Ron pleaded.

"No, it's the cloak." Hermione replied.

"It's the stone." Harry said. "But unfortunately I'll never have it.

**THE END**

**Please review. Does anyone know why I had Draco using Fiendfyre on Dumbledore?**


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